Big screen hardman Dolph Lundgren tells Metro about his favourite five films, including Gladiator, The Godfather and Unforgiven

SpartacusI watched this as a kid and I remember the intermission, when you went with your dad to get candy. It’s such a great movie and it came before CGI, so you get 10,000 extras in those shots of the Roman legions coming down the hill. Just to set that up is mind-boggling. The acting by Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier is great too. And the ending is probably one of the best in any movie.

Gladiator
I like to watch historical movies and Gladiator is great. It’s a timeless story about a hero’s journey. After his near-death experience, he’s always trying to do something good and sacrifice himself for what he believes in. The fights were very realistic – it didn’t have any weaknesses that I can think of.

The Godfather
A classic 1970s character drama with terrific actors. The Godfather 2, with Robert De Niro, was really good, too, but the first one has a great story where you try to follow what’s going on with the double crosses and who is who. It has got everything.

Unforgiven
I love Clint Eastwood and I love his work. When I came to LA in the 1980s, Clint was not far from my age now. People were saying Clint’s stuff had gone and it was all about the new action heroes, guys like me, Sly and Arnold. I remember seeing the film poster for Unforgiven and thinking: ‘Oh, a western, that’s never going to work.’ But it’s just a great movie. At about 62, Clint came back and has had a terrific career since. He is an inspiration for guys in my situation.

Working Girl
This movie came out after I moved to New York and it reminds me of that time. It’s a story of someone who aspires to be more than they are. She lives in Long Island and looks over at Manhattan and wants to get there. She is smart and people are keeping her down but she finds a way to get out of it. It’s a touching, good fun movie. And Melanie Griffiths is terrific in it.

Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning is out now on DVD/Blu-ray and 2D/3D Steelbook